The first recognized settler of modern day Blaine, Minnesota was Phillip Laddy, who was an immigrant from Ireland. The lake he lived by in 1862 is now called Laddies Lake. Unfortunately, Phillip died at a younger age, and his family left the area to head back to Minneapolis. For the next few years, the only other settler was an Englishman named George Townsend, but for the most part, the land lay uninhabited. It remained this way until 1865 that Green Chambers became the first permanent resident. Chambers was once a slave who moved north from Kentucky after the Civil War. In 1870, several other families joined Chambers as they began to form a small community.

Before 1877, the settlement remained a part of Anoka. However, during that year, Blaine separated as its own township. The name of this township is less than obvious, and has nothing to do with the state of Minnesota at all. A man named Moses Ripley was elected by the board as the township’s first Chairman. He moved to Minnesota from Maine, and convinced the board to name the township after James G. Blaine, a senator and three-time presidential candidate from Maine. By the year 1880, the township’s population had risen to 128 residents.

Most of the towns surrounding Blaine grew incredibly fast due to agriculture. However, Blaine struggled in this area due to its sandy soil and vast wetland. The area was prime for hunting, however, and had slight growth until World War II. After that time, Blaine grew much faster as starter home developers needed a place to build. Blaine’s population had grown from 1,700 in 1950 to 20,500 in 1970 and more than doubled by 2010. For a long stretch of time, Blaine had more new home development than any other Minnesota metro region.

The development of Interstate Highway 35W, U.S. Highway 10, and Minnesota Highway 65 also contributed to Blaine‘s substantial growth. This allowed the city to become a bedroom community, as its residents could finally travel to the Twin Cities for employment opportunities. Although Blaine had very humble beginnings, it is now a town with nearly 60,000 residents, not to mention its renowned National Sports Center Complex.

If you have any questions regarding the city of Blaine, Minnesota, or if you would like to sell or buy a house in the area, please feel free to visit TwinCitiesPropertyFinder.com or call 1-800-909-1953